The Knoxville News Sentinel has a nice set of photos of the World’s Fair online. Take a look for nostalgic purposes, or even more if you weren’t living here at the time and just wonder what the heck the big deal is…

A new proposal for rekindling life into the Sunsphere at World’s Fair Park includes an observation deck, a restaurant, special events space and offices for a Knoxville public relations firm.

Kinsey Probasco Hays & Associates, the Chattanooga development company that is redeveloping the Candy Factory, will present its tentative plan to City Council at a work session to be held at 5 p.m. Thursday in the Main Assembly Room of the City County Building.

I think this is a great prospect for recreating the Sunsphere as a downtown anchor. New people to the city that have no idea what to do naturally gravitate toward the towering gold icon as some sort of destination, and being such a visual eye-catcher they are disappointed when finding not only that you can’t do anything inside it, but that people once could and just aren’t allowed to. It’s not like it’s a solid structure that’s completely inaccessible.

The fourth-floor observation deck would be open to the public.

Southern Graces would run a restaurant on the fifth floor, as well as manage special events on the sixth floor.

Robert A. Sukenik, president of Southern Graces, said the restaurant would be open for lunch — serving primarily salads, sandwiches and deserts — and could be converted to serve cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in the early evening.

What a great way to end an evening after a trip to the theatre or a restaurant in the Old City or Market Square, with a drink looking out over the Knoxville skyline and the riverfront.

City Council won’t vote at tomorrow’s workshop but would have to approve the deal.